Linklaters teams with Human Rights Campaign in civil rights lawsuit against anti-transgender bill
Filed on behalf of two transgender children challenging Tennessee’s student ‘bathroom bill’
Linklaters has partnered with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation to file a federal civil rights lawsuit in the District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee challenging a discriminatory law that denies transgender students access to the bathroom, locker rooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity.
In May 2021, Tennessee enacted this anti-transgender bill into law. In addition to preventing transgender students from using restrooms and other facilities aligning with their gender identity, it also opens schools to legal liability if a student believes they have shared a sex-segregated space with a transgender student.
The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of two transgender children, ages 6 and 14, who will be forced to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender assigned at birth when they return to school this fall, instead of the restroom consistent with their gender identity.
Adam Lurie, Head of Linklaters’ U.S. Dispute Resolution practice, commented, “We are proud to support these children alongside the Human Rights Campaign on this important pro bono project. There’s no place for this anti-LGBTQ legislation anywhere in the United States.”
Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President added, “The common thread that ties our legal challenges together is our commitment to protect our community’s most vulnerable—children. With our representation of two transgender kids today, we are sending a strong message of support for all transgender and non-binary children across the country— you matter, and your legal rights should be respected.”
The Linklaters team was led by partners Adam Lurie and Erez Liebermann alongside counsel Andrew Pak, senior associate Sean Mooney, senior paralegal Lescene Gibbons, associates Kunal Kanodia, Andy Reynolds and Rebecca Zeldin, law clerk Jarrett Field and summer associate Alexis Banks.
The HRC Foundation is the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization in the United States. For years, it has partnered with legal and civil rights groups to advocate for civil rights in the courts.
